Writing your name on inside cover of a book. Yay or nay?

Chinafoot

Manach wrote: »

For records purposes, I'd always date it. Then check the margins for how much I can write there to argue against the author.

Unfortunately some people do this with library books. I spent quite a while trying to erase someone's rantings in a book about the history of the Arab wars. Writing it in pencil doesn't make it ok.

Writing on a book, be it your name, the date, whatever, is (for me anyway) a very disrespectful act.

JohnMearsheimer

I've never written in a book I own but I am tempted to write in the date I bought a book from now on. I started buying books in my teens in the late 90s. It would have been nice to know the exact dates I purchased some of them, especially the older ones in my collection.

DonnieScribbles

I remembered this video...

http://www.vimeo.com/12879013

and in turn remembered this thread.

Some of you may find this video distressing :P

Personally I'm not bothered about maintaining books in pristine condition, they're just paper and glue to me. It's the meaning you take from them that is more valuable.

diddlybit

I like re-discovering a book I haven't look at for a while with my name and date on it. If the book meant a lot to me, it always brings back memories of my life at that time.

Found some of my childhood books and the inscriptions ran something like this...

Diddlybit,
My Bedroom,
7 Generic Irish Street Name,
Small Backwater Town,
County Wicklow,
Leinster,
Ireland,
EEC,
Europe,
Northern Hemisphere,
The World,
The Solar System,
The Milky Way,
The Universe.

27/12/1988

And I was rocking the joined-up handwriting. :cool:

r3nu4l

Brilliant diddlybit, I've never met anyone yet who hasn't done something like that

Most bookcrossers write details in books before they release them, for tracking purposes

I've recently contemplated doing it because there have been times when I've said to myself 'Oh I read that book about 12 years ago', where it would be nice to just lift it off the shelf and say 'Ah, I started reading it on Nov 27 1999' instead! I sometimes buy books and don't read them for over a year so I may start writing my name, the date and where purchased first then follow up with the date I start reading it

It would be nice too because I buy books online, in charity shops, discount shops, market stalls in the UK and Ireland and on occasion, the US It would be very nice to pick up a book and accurately associate it with a particular time and place

coffee_cake

r3nu4l wrote: »

Brilliant diddlybit, I've never met anyone yet who hasn't done something like that

Most bookcrossers write details in books before they release them, for tracking purposes

I've recently contemplated doing it because there have been times when I've said to myself 'Oh I read that book about 12 years ago', where it would be nice to just lift it off the shelf and say 'Ah, I started reading it on Nov 27 1999' instead! I sometimes buy books and don't read them for over a year so I may start writing my name, the date and where purchased first then follow up with the date I start reading it

It would be nice too because I buy books online, in charity shops, discount shops, market stalls in the UK and Ireland and on occasion, the US It would be very nice to pick up a book and accurately associate it with a particular time and place

I'm starting to be converted to this dating the book business.
It would be nice, you're right...

Saffers

I have no problem writing in books (as long as they're my own), but I usually only write or highlight in my nonfiction books. It helps me keep my thoughts in order, especially when I'm studying. I also like to write in my language books, because all the grammar and vocabulary I need for practice is right there.

But sometimes I'll write my name in a novel if I'm letting someone borrow it. Other times I just write down which excerpts I like. It's OK by me if my books are a little worn.

Amalgam

My late father went through a phase of using a small rectangular label, he referred to them as an 'Ex Libris'. Very lightly glued though. Inside cover.

The symbol was an owl done in a print press style, I can't remember if there was a name or initials with the design, hint of Escher about it. I'll try and root one out and scan it.

Travel is good

r3nu4l wrote: »

Most bookcrossers write details in books before they release them, for tracking purposes )

On Book Crossing you can "journal" your books. This means that you can put all your thoughts online, and not write in the book! I've seen some brilliant reviews of books on the Book Crossing website.

No. I could never write notes in the books. Though I do of course, put the book crossing labels on them. They are a bit like the "Ex Libris" book plates. You can get some really nice artistic book crossing labels. I like the idea of being able to track my book as it travels all around the world!

ReacherCreature

I don't write my name in the book. It seems a little strange all right. My aunt signs her initials and the date she purchased it though. Initials may not be as bad as a full name. My paranoia would rocket: are they tracking me or stalking me!?

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

I do, well did, this too. Walter J. Boyne's The Influence of Air Power on History was a large volume of work incorporating early flight into today's military jets. Regular annotations into the margin simplified and made the work more comprehending - for example the RAF/USAAF bomber war over Germany. Before reading the next chapters I'd read my notes and the work was made easier. Flipping through the book, you'll see many notes, some one words or even sentences. It felt strange at first but it's something I liked - must give annotations another spin, but the name in the book? Not my scene.

snooleen

I don't but think I will start writing the date I bought it on the inside cover Nice idea

I often underline lines I love. Wuthering Heights is covered in black, inky lines. It looks awful but I turn the corners of the pages I underline things on and often go to books I love just to read my favourite lines when I feel like it so it makes them a lot easier to find. Shakespeare's sonnets are destroyed with the oul lines as well.

smokedeels

If I give a book as a present I write on the inside cover, wishing the person well for the applicable celebration and my reasoning for giving them the book.

I don't understand why I would write my own name on a book

The Mad Hatter

For a while I used to lightly sketch a rose in the top corner page 52 of every book I owned. Other than that, I'd never write in a (fiction) book.

Earthhorse

Why page 52?

The Mad Hatter

Earthhorse wrote: »

Why page 52?

Absolutely no idea. Probably either it just seemed "right" or I'd already idly done it on page 52 of some book and thought "Hey".

emeraldstar

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

Absolutely no idea. Probably either it just seemed "right" or I'd already idly done it on page 52 of some book and thought "Hey".

I used to always write my name on page 21, right in where the two pages meet. Not sure why really; 21 is my favourite number though.

NewFrockTuesday

I notice when my name id on the book, I tend to get it given back if somebody has borrowed it. No name, it just sits on their shelf until its my turn to pilfer their new buys. I date too. Nice to know when I read it last.

Carawaystick

emeraldstar wrote: »

I used to always write my name on page 21, right in where the two pages meet. Not sure why really; 21 is my favourite number though.

Ha, I go for 23, write my name as close to the spine as possible!

Thoie

I have a tiny little square stamp, with the initial of my first name in a fancy design. If I know it's a book I want to keep (and potentially reclaim from friends later!), I stamp the frontispiece carefully - generally beneath the title and above the publisher name.

It generally blends in quite well as the stamped black ink stands out less than a pen or pencil would. Other people rarely notice it until I take my books back from their shelves

When I was in college I used initial page 23 of my course books near the spine - helped me get a stolen book back once, so was well worth doing.

Thoie

Carawaystick wrote: »

Ha, I go for 23, write my name as close to the spine as possible!

Thoie wrote: »

When I was in college I used initial page 23 of my course books near the spine - helped me get a stolen book back once, so was well worth doing.

That's mad - I'd started typing around 11:15, but got called away, and just came back and hit post, then saw your reply!

Odysseus

Name, month and year that I brought it. I don't do it with cheap fiction, but with my work/study books so all my Freud, Lacan etc, my Shakespeare and Greek tradgies. I really like to pick up a copy of something and see the first time I read that copy was over a decade ago.

To the horror of some I also write a lot of notes and stuff on my psych books, but only in pencil of course.

Odysseus

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

Place of purchase wouldn't look so great for me: most of mine were bought online. Online shops lack the refinement of the high street!

Can't afford it at the moment but I used to travel to Paris every year ans I have a good few books with the Shakespear & Co stamp on it. However, they do ask before they stamp it and I have seen people decline.

As I said above my name etc is in pen, but my notes and underlining is always in pencil and I use a rule to make sure the lines are straight, I'm a tad obessive about that.

I would see myself as a bibliophile, but I wouldn't see using a pencil as being disrespectful, however, I can't stand people using pen or highlighters on books. That I do hate:o

mariebeth

There are two things that someone should never do to any book I loan them - write in them or turn down the pages!

grocklecat

i don't like writing in books, i was brought up that it's WRONG.

but:

i have, for example, a book that a much loved partner gave to me, and inscribed, a week before that partner's unexpected sudden death. that's pretty powerful for me.

books that i think i want to keep forever i will write my name in, and the date of acquisition.

university library books tend to have a lot of scribbled notes and highlights in them. this is useful, if the noters and highlighters were intelligent students.

belacqua_

diddlybit wrote: »

I like re-discovering a book I haven't look at for a while with my name and date on it. If the book meant a lot to me, it always brings back memories of my life at that time.

Found some of my childhood books and the inscriptions ran something like this...

Diddlybit,
My Bedroom,
7 Generic Irish Street Name,
Small Backwater Town,
County Wicklow,
Leinster,
Ireland,
EEC,
Europe,
Northern Hemisphere,
The World,
The Solar System,
The Milky Way,
The Universe.

27/12/1988

And I was rocking the joined-up handwriting. :cool:

This reminded me of Stephen Dedalus (and an old atlas of mine). I write all over my books, unless they're beautiful (expensive) first editions (which few of them are) and even then I'll probably sign, date and annotate in pencil.